Trump appointed Dana Blumberg Kraft to the board that renamed and moved to close the Kennedy Center

Reporting and findings

1. documented

   Trump appointed Dana Blumberg Kraft to the Kennedy Center board on February 12, 2025. She served as a trustee while the reconstituted board elected Trump chair, removed President Deborah Rutter, declared a renaming unanimous after Representative Joyce Beatty was muted, approved a March 2026 closure plan after a 34-minute meeting, and voted again in September 2026 to close most of the building. A federal court held that the board lacked authority to rename the congressionally designated memorial, restored ex officio trustees' voting rights and found the first closure decision likely an abuse of discretion. The records establish Blumberg Kraft's appointment and service during these board actions; they do not identify an individual roll-call vote for her.

   • Compilation of Presidential Documents: Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2025 Digest2025 presidential digest entry naming Dana Blumberg to the Kennedy Center board
   • Associated Press: Kennedy Center will close for renovations after judge blocks returning Trump's name to buildingSeptember 15 closure vote, safety rationale and renovation timing
   • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia: Beatty v. Trump, memorandum opinion and orderMeeting procedure, statutory renaming holding, trustee voting rights and closure injunction
   • Reuters via Investing.com: Kennedy Center board, with Trump as the new chair, fires its presidentFebruary 12 board meeting, Trump chair vote and Rutter removal
2. reported

   Dana Blumberg and Robert Kraft married in October 2022. Vanity Fair reported that she was 47 and he was 81 at the wedding, a 34-year difference using their reported ages.

   • Vanity Fair: Tom Brady, Elton John, Ed Sheeran, and Other A-Listers Attend Robert Kraft's Surprise Wedding In NYCWedding report identifying the couple as 81 and 47